WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), announced her co-sponsorship of the COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2021, legislation that would establish and support public awareness campaigns specifically directed at racial and ethnic minority communities with the goal of increasing testing and vaccination outreach efforts to groups that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
“Longstanding inequalities in access to employment, health care, housing, and more have resulted in communities of color being disproportionately affected by the pandemic,” said Senator Rosen. “This legislation will help address racial and ethnic health disparities by supporting public awareness campaigns and vaccination efforts to our most affected communities. I will continue working to combat the inequities within our systems and protect the well-being of all Nevadans.”
BACKGROUND: Specifically, the COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2021 would:
- Require HHS to develop an action plan to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other vulnerable populations;
- Ensure that contact tracing efforts are tailored to communities’ racial and ethnic diversity;
- Fund public awareness campaigns about COVID-19 symptoms, testing, and vaccines to ensure that minorities and those most severely impacted by COVID-19 are targeted with culturally competent and multilingual messaging.
Rosen supported this same legislation last Congress.
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